5 Nobel Laureates fight Iraq OIL THEFT law pushed by Bush & big oil companies

[rodeodance]

http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2007/07/5-nobel-laureates-fight-iraq-oil-theft.html

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

5 Nobel Laureates fight Iraq OIL THEFT law pushed by Bush & big oil companies

I got this in an email from Antonia Juhasz, who wrote THE BUSH AGENDA, and has been one of the few journalist writing on the Iraq Hydrocarbon Law that does more than retype Karl Rove's press releases.

See the end of the article for a petition to sign in support.

Forcing the Hydrocarbon Law that was dictated by the oil companies to give them up to 80% of Iraq's oil wealth while our troops are occupying the country is a prima facie war crime. Bush will commit the act, but we will pay the price of being hated for decades to come.


NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENTS AND CONCERNED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD SIGN ON STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO THE IRAQ OIL LAW

In support of the people of Iraq, we the undersigned Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, state our opposition to the Iraq Oil Law.

We also oppose the decision of the United States government to require that the Iraq government pass the Oil Law as a condition of continued reconstruction aid in legislation passed on May 24, 2007............

[AzDar]

1. Kick.....

:kick:

[karynnj]

2. How many people think the response - if anything will be

but there are many Nobel Laureates, these are just a few. (As they did when very prominent, high ranking generals spoke against the war.)

[NoFederales]

3. It has always been about OIL; no more BLOOD for OIL!

NoFederales

[Bonobo]

4. This is what it's all about! K&R!

[slipslidingaway]

5. K&R n/t

[DangerDave921]

6. how much?

Has any writer ever documented the actual amount of oil we have stolen from Iraq in the last few years? Can it even be quantified or is it kept too secret?

[welshTerrier2]

7. it's not what we have stolen; it's what we will steal

here's a link to one of many articles about why we're in Iraq: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/43045

if the US government and their puppetmasters in the oil industry have their way, the Iraqi government will be forced into signing "production sharing agreements (PSA's)" that could net four mega-multi-national oil companies as much as 87% of Iraq's oil revenues for the next 30 years or more.

here's an excerpt from the article ... the full article is very worth reading.

With a constitution cooked up in D.C., the stage was set for foreign multinationals to assume effective control of as much as 87 percent of Iraq's oil, according to projections by the Oil Ministry. If PSAs become the law of the land -- and there are other contractual arrangements that would allow private companies to invest in the sector without giving them the same degree of control or such usurious profits -- the war-torn country stands to lose up to 194 billion vitally important dollars in revenue on just the first 12 fields developed, according to a conservative estimate by Platform (the estimate assumes oil at $40 per barrel; at this writing it stands at more than $59). That's more than six times the country's annual budget.

and here's another link on the subject: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2005/crudedesigns.htm

Iraqi oil should be for the sole benefit of the Iraqi people. That's not the way Cheney or his oily friends see it. There's black gold in them thar hills and they intend to steal it even if the nation has to go to war and hundreds of thousands have to die. You might even consider it treason.

[DangerDave921]

8. wow

Wow, I had no idea of the magnitude. Gives me something to think about.

[welshTerrier2]

9. lots of threads on this ...

here are a few from my journal:

Why is Iraq's "Oil Law" being discussed in a "closed session" of the US Senate?
Iraqis Will Never Accept This Sellout to the Oil Corporations
The signing away of Iraqi OIL
87% of Iraq's oil will go to 4 multi-national oil companies
Palast: leaked State Dept memo - why we invaded Iraq

That last link, the Palast article, puts a somewhat different spin on why we invaded Iraq. IIRC, Palast's point was that the goal was not to steal Iraqi oil but rather to keep it off the world market to drive up the price of oil. Since the invasion of Iraq began, Big Oil has realized all time record profits in excess of 100 billion dollars per year. My view is that, while Palast may be correct, that does NOT preclude the theft of Iraqi oil via PSA's as an additional motivation.

Any way you slice it, the name of the game is greed and imperialism. And it's not for the benefit of the American people; this war has severely weakened our military, decreased American stature, drained our national budget and resulted in the deaths of more than 3600 American troops, the severe wounding of tens of thousands of others and killed perhaps as many as 3/4 of a million Iraqis. And it was all done for oil. If we don't label it treason then what is?

[bvar22]

10. 5 Nobel Laureates & ONE solitary Democratic Corgressman

Dennis Kucinich is the ONLY Democrat who has taken a public stand AGAINST this obscene theft of Iraqi resources.
MOST of the other Democrats have voted FOR funding legislation that INCLUDES the theft of Iraqi Oil as a necessary benchmark for withdrawal, a serious WAR CRIME!

I fear for our future.

Vote for Dennis, a lonely voice for the People in a government filled with Corporate lackeys.

[welshTerrier2]

11. they're cowering in the corner

you know, if they stood right up there in the well of the Senate and said that, like it or not, this country is desperate for oil and we're going to steal oil from Iraq because we can, it would be abhorrent but at least they wouldn't be pretending they're something they aren't.

but to cower in the corner and refuse to even acknowledge this issue exists is the epitome of hypocrisy and cowardice.

where are the Hillary Clinton poll posters now? Hello? Hillary supporters? What is Senator Clinton's position on the theft of Iraqi oil? Obama fans? Cat got your tongues? Edwards people? I can't hear you. How about you Richardson supporters or Biden supporters? Didn't want to leave you out either. disgraceful. all those threads and not a word about the international crimes this country is trying to commit.

where's the outrage? where's the leadership. Kudos to Kucinich. Not only does he have the right position but he's actually taken a position unlike the other cowering cowards. the gauntlet is dropped. cue the crickets ...

[ludwigb]

12. If the NY Times Ran a Serious Story on the Oil Law

everyone would treat it as a revelation. Seriously, most people have no idea that future control of Iraq's natural resources are being negotiated under coercive conditions. And most Americans would still dispute that controlling Iraqi oil resources is one of American's war aims.

To hell with reconstruction aid--we are effectively demanding the passage of this law as a condition of our withdrawl!

Cheers to McDermott and Kucinich for having the courage to press this essential issue.

Attention "major" Democratic candidates---somebody please run with this!

[ludwigb]

17. Bumping

it seems like Democrats, like the rest of America, simply don't want to face this issue.

[bvar22]

13. Where do the BIG MONEY candidates stand on the Oil Law?

K&R to give Hillary's Jewels and Obamaniacs a chance to explain thier candidates position on the "Oil Law Benchmark", and why they still support them.
.
.
.
.
.waiting
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.

[slipslidingaway]

14. Waiting...me too! I've asked this question a few times but still

no answer??? Thanks for the reminder, this is a BIG question IMO, yet it hardly receives any attention. Edwards was also in favor of sending the first supplemental bill back to Bush which contained the oil law benchmark, so I guess he thinks controlling their resources is OK as well?

[donkeyotay]

15. Iraq had their oil stolen before and an international court ruled against the theft,

which is why Iraq's oil was Iraq's under Saddam Hussein. The ruling was that the oil companies' contracts weren't legit because they were a product of force. So, this time I'm sure it's very important to get the right Iraqi government lined up so they can claim it was the Iraq's choice, not one imposed by shock and awe, inc.

[bvar22]

16. The current Iraqi government of selected VichyIraqis

doesn't seem all that anxious to sign away Iraq's natural resources. :shrug:

As long as there is a US Tank on the streets of Baghdad, there can be NO legitimate government in Iraq.